The Time Seekers (The Soul Seekers Book 2) (14 page)

The weather had great timing. Someday I’d have myself a talk with Time and Fate and Mother Nature and give them a good piece of my mind. For once I needed things to go as planned. Was it too much to ask? Thunder rumbled across the valley, answering my question. I felt rain spatter onto my face and let out a curse. Then the itch worsened—the one I’d been ignoring for the last hour or so. But I couldn’t scratch it. The layer of black shoe polish I’d smeared all over my face and neck had to stay intact. The shoe polish, along with a ratty pair of Grandpa’s overalls I’d found in the garage, would get me past the cave entrance without too much suspicion. My hair was pulled back and shoved under a cap, nails trimmed down. I’d even worn the girdle to hide my curves. Anything if it allowed me in there. I had to keep an eye on William.

I could hear his voice mixed in with the others, but more than this, I could
sense
him. My intuition was getting stronger, more aware. He’d be proud. I cursed at myself again. The
old
William would be proud. This one didn’t give a damn who I was or what I could do.

Shifting, I leaned over the bluff to see what was going on. They’d been standing there for the longest time, and I wondered if they’d ever actually go in. It was unbearably hot in the getup I’d put on. I couldn’t be the only one who felt this miserable, who had sweat all up and down their back. Once we were inside the caves, it’d be better. Things were much cooler inside. The cave had its own air and climate. Streams ran through the limestone and sounded like voices singing. Formations rose up like figures, tricking you, enchanting you. I’d never forget my time inside the caves. Sometimes I dreamed of it at night. But I never thought I’d come back.

Finally someone made a move to go in. I peered down and caught William’s unmistakably large form shuffle into line behind the others. He took one last drag of a cigarette and threw the butt down to the gravel. Then he froze and cast a glance up over his shoulder—right to where I was hiding. I was afraid to even breathe. When I thought I would pass out from lack of oxygen, he headed into the caves with the others.

Another bolt of lightning cracked the sky above. I waited a few minutes before going in, long enough to not be seen. Then, scrambling down the embankment, I ran inside. I could hear voices down a tunnel, but it was black everywhere. Their lanterns had faded; the caves weren’t lit up like I remembered. I pulled out Grandpa’s flashlight and flicked on the beam. I’d have to be careful.

This is where I needed my intuition the most. I had to keep track of William and make sure he remained safe. I didn’t trust Marcus. Something told me this whole mining operation was a front, that what he was really mining was souls to steal. I didn’t want him anywhere near William, whose soul was the strongest in town. This mining, and the rock to be sold for great profit, was all for the cult. Bring the men in first, turn them into members one by one, then go after the women. I wouldn’t care, wouldn’t risk my life, for any of them. Only William. I’d risk my life a thousand times to save his.

A pattern of metal striking rock echoed through the caves, and I picked up my pace. They were around the next curve, in a larger opening. I turned off my flashlight and slipped it back inside the front loop of my overalls, and then shimmied into a small crevice so I could watch the scene. William was down at the end, hitting limestone with a precise pattern. His muscles tightened, stretched, and tightened again. I could hear small bits of his thoughts. A song. He was singing a song about a girl, and money, and a fancy car—all timed to his pickaxe. A little laugh escaped my throat, and he stared over his shoulder.

Dammit! I couldn’t be this stupid, laughing out loud. But I was. For a full five minutes I berated myself and kept silent. If ever there was time, it was now.

He continued working, and I watched. It wasn’t long before I grew bored. There didn’t seem to be any threat to worry about, only the constant pandemonium of pickaxe against stone. Marcus wasn’t interested in culling souls tonight; he wanted limestone. Tons of it, enough to bring in a great amount of money for the cult.

I took a little tour. The last time I’d been in the caves, there wasn’t time to take in the beautiful stalagmites hanging everywhere. William and I had been running for our lives, much more worried about escaping than sightseeing. I crept through the tunnel until I found an area with enough room to stand and stretch my arms above my head. All my joints gave a loud set of crackles.

When I flicked on the flashlight, a room of pale formations lit up in front of me, and it was beautiful. It was as if I was surrounded by melting wax; the rock strands glistened and curved toward a high ceiling. A pond was still as glass, the color of William’s eyes. How could anything hidden so deep in the earth be so breathtaking?

A sound of footsteps came from behind. I doused the light and ran to hide behind a shaft of limestone. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the dim surroundings, but after awhile I could make out a lone figure inside the cave room with me.

Marcus.

He stood in the middle and scanned his silver eyes throughout the room. He’d find me. He’d sense me the same as I sensed him. Shaking, I reached inside a side pocket to extract the protection herbs Paul had given me. He said they’d make me invisible to enemies, but at the time I’d thought it hogwash. Now I was praying he was right.

Marcus followed my footsteps to the glass-like water. It was as if he was reenacting my time there, picking up on every little thing I’d done a few seconds before. Then he came to the rock formation and stopped.

He breathed in long heavy streams of air and stood forever. I clutched the sachet, my mind empty of all thoughts. The darkness was my cloak, and I prayed he didn’t have a light or a lantern. If Marcus found me, it’d be impossible to explain why I was there, or why I had dressed the way I had. Most likely I’d stammer. Then I’d thrash out at him, angry at all the things he’d done. William always warned me I was too temperamental.

An explosion came from deep inside the caves. I felt the ground shake. Gravel loosened and tumbled to the ground. Marcus turned on his heel, spat some words, and started running. I had to cover my head with my bare hands to keep from getting pelted with rock—some large enough to do damage. The subterranean pool, so peaceful before, now shook, quivered. Another explosion, and I braced myself to a new barrage of stone. Then things became deathly quiet.

William
. William was inside those caves. What if he’d been caught in the explosion, trapped under an avalanche of rock?

Then I was running the same as Marcus.

I reached the scene in time to see William being carried out. It took three men. Marcus stood a few feet in front of me, hands in pockets. His voice like tar ricocheted off the caves. “I told you boys to give an all clear before using dynamite! I need all the men I can get, and you’re just going to—” He walked over to William and placed a hand on his chest.

I wanted to run across the space and throw myself between them. The sight of Marcus so close to William, touching him, made me frantic. But I had to resign myself to staying exactly where I was, waiting and hoping William would wake up and be okay. After a few agonizing seconds, he began to stir.

“Let go,” William growled. He rose up, and then scrambled to his feet. “I’m fine, just fine. There’s a ringing in my ears, but that’s all.” He sent a scathing glare in Marcus’ direction. “I thought you said we was just picking tonight, not blasting. I want to get out of here alive, you know.”

Marcus mumbled something about wanting William to get out alive as well. My fists clenched hard.

“I’ll pay you extra,” Marcus said. He appeared in awe of William, like a person meeting their most beloved idol. But all William showed was contempt. He never stopped scowling at the man, never seemed to let down his guard long enough to trust him.

The offer of extra pay did bring a little relief. William said it would be fine, but no more explosions near their workspace, or he’d walk. He didn’t need anyone’s money
that
much. But I knew he did, or he’d never come to the caves. He wanted that money to get out of Springvale—he and his sister.

Marcus apologized profusely and handed him a pile of money on the spot. The other men turned to finish their work, pickaxes raised. William seemed surprised, but he didn’t thank Marcus, and he didn’t lose his scowl of disdain.

From within my hiding place, I watched the men lift the loosened stone and pile it into wheelbarrows. Someone carted it out, and they repeated the whole thing until the area was clear. Then they started picking again, and I heard William sing that funny song of his.

I stayed right there, listening, watching. I wouldn’t leave his side until the night was over. I’d never leave him again. Every bead of sweat had me mesmerized, every grunt and sigh. I was falling in love with this William, the young Billy Joe. He made me laugh. His thoughts were wild, crazy, willful, beautiful. If only the older William had given me a glimpse of this kid, I would have shown him how much love someone can have—for all the good and the bad. But he’d hidden it away.

What was he so afraid of?

Whenever he pulled his stern act, making me feel like a baby in comparison, I’d remind him it was okay to be wild. To be young. Because we were. With sadness, I realized all those years in the library had done their damage, going far beyond skin and bone. At some point, he had allowed isolation to change him. Well, not anymore. I knew the truth and would work hard to merge both young and old William into one person. He could fight me, but I wouldn’t stop trying.

My leg turned numb. I tried to shake it out, but there wasn’t enough room. I resigned myself to having tingly appendages and nothing but time to look forward to. I continued to listen to the workers, and the sound of all those thoughts, and his song. It became a lullaby to me. I hadn’t allowed William’s voice to enter and stay inside my head since before we’d gotten married. And now, I never wanted it to end. My eyelids fluttered down a few times, and soon I succumbed to sleep.

I opened my eyes to a world of darkness and silence. Everyone had gone.

With a yawn and a stretch, I pulled out the flashlight to check my wristwatch. Six a.m. How the hell did I manage to get the best night’s sleep of my life while crammed between two rocks? I let out a groan and stood up. Everything crackled.

It was so quiet. Stalagmites stood around me like shadowy figures. No longer beautiful, they held a countenance of horror, like an amusement park fright house. I continued to stretch, mad at myself for letting my guard down. Mostly I was mad I had wasted all that time around William by sleeping. At least the short portion I’d seen had been good.

I headed for the nearest opening. Half an hour later, the muted colors of dawn bled across limestone, telling me I was close to getting out. A wave of relief washed over me. I couldn’t wait to free myself of the claustrophobic dampness of the caves and get out in the fresh air again.

A sound reverberated somewhere within the cave. I froze.

Marcus came into view. His fingers clung to the bridge of his nose, glasses pushed out of the way. He was in a kind of prayer, a chant; his lips moved, but no sound escaped. After a time, he reached into his pocket to retrieve a small bag. Then he untied a drawstring, pulled, and emptied the contents into his palm.

A coin.

No one had to tell me. I stood in my annex and felt the world shift. Heartbroken. You couldn’t change time, you could only escape it. William had made it sound like we’d traveled back early enough to stop the cult from forming, that we’d be able to prevent Marcus from putting together his implements to steal innocent souls. But he was already making coins, and what else did he have? How far did his powers reach through time?

The coin glistened in his palm, and the way Marcus gazed at it told me it was meant for someone very important. At the eclipse, there had been a coin for each of us—William and myself. Then, the roughly helmed copper had been aged to a dark verdigris. This coin was shining copper. Brand new. With the moon’s eclipse, and the Seekers chanting words I’d never understand—or wanted to understand—that coin would become a soul vessel. A keeper of precious life, so that Marcus’ would never end.

I realized it was too late to change Marcus and infiltrate the cult. He wanted William, and there was no amount of planning which would erase the fact.

When he left through a tunnel heading back into the complex, I ran out into daylight, tears in my eyes. The second I reached a high plateau, I let myself break down. Dawn spread out above, faded into the heavens. The sky turned blue. The sun began its long ascent until night came to take it away again.

I sat up and wiped at my face. I yanked the cap off my head and shook out all my hair. My hands were covered with dirt along with shoe polish. I could pass for a real miner now. Like it mattered.

Falling back, I lay on a bed of loose rock and watched clouds passing by in a slow dance. I felt defeated. Hungry. It reminded me I was pregnant. Time to go home—well, not home. Home was a million miles, minutes, away. Seeing her would comfort me. But it wouldn’t be long before I said good-bye to her forever. I didn’t want to do it. Why not stay right where I was and stare at the clouds some more?

My stomach growled.

“All right, kid, you win. Time for breakfast.” I didn’t want to eat. I wanted to lie there and pretend. Pretend none of this had happened. Pretend William was safe.

Rocks ground under someone’s feet. My breath caught. Whoever it was had come awfully near, and I wouldn’t have time to escape. If it was Marcus, I’d scratch his eyes out, rip at his clothes. The time had come.

I rose to my feet. A pair of calloused hands grabbed and spun me around, and a set of blue eyes—bluer than the sky above—pierced down into my own set of widened brown.

“
Not
so fast.”